Your Not Forgotten
by Ritaann
Summary: Part 6 is here with a bit of humor in this- I don't think it's very funny, though. Please r/r!
1. Default Chapter

***Your Not Forgotten***  
  
  
Title: YOUR NOT FORGOTTEN (follows 'On The Lake')  
Author: Ritaann  
Ratting: PG 13 but may have disturbing scenes.   
Summary: He's out. Yes, that's right folks, the man's brother has escaped from jail. He didn't do the job right the first time... but this time, he's made sure that weather or not he's there or in hell, Kate will get what he recon that she deserves and that might not mean that's he's after Kate directly....  
Disclaimer: All songs and characters in this piece do not belong to me. I repeat; DO NOT BELONG TO ME! I've just borrowed them for a while. No money is being made, I will return them when needed... or anytime ER is on the TV or that song is on the radio. (American or Australian, don't panic!)  
Keywords: Kate Hobbit, John Carter, no, I don't wanna...  
  
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BEFORE YOU READ THIS FIC, YOU SHOULD READ   
ON THE LAKE AS THIS STORY IS A CONTINUATION  
~*~*~*~  
  
Part 1  
  
A man walked hurriedly through the boarding gates of the airport. He was unshaven, his clothes were creased and he looked as though he had dressed in a hurried fashion. Looking around nervously, he ducked into a men's room and took out a travel kit from his back pack. Making sure that nobody was around, he opened it and took out a razor, a pair of scissors and a new shirt. Removing his thick coat, the man exposed his shirt which said 'Blacktown jail' in thick, ugly black letters....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"John." said Kate as she came round the desk and placed a kiss on Carter's cheek as she dropped a completed chart into the rack.   
"Hey. Haven't seen you round in a long time. Where have you been?" asked Carter as he kissed her back.   
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Now what about dinner tonight?" said Kate trying to change the subject. She didn't want John to know that she had spent half her shift in the ladies emptying out what he had made her eat for breakfast. 'Damn virus.' thought Kate to herself.   
"Sounds good to me, where do you want to go?"   
"Cafeteria?" suggested Kate softly, afraid of what Carter would say.   
"No you didn't, did you?"   
"Well, I did..."   
"Kate, what's with all these extra shifts?" said Carter in exaggeration.   
"Kovac called in sick, what was I supposed to do?" said Kate trying to explain as Carter playfully teased her.   
"Your, suppose to, call Weaver." he said leaning forward.   
"And tell her what?" asked Kate, catching onto what Carter was saying.   
"And tell her that" said Carter kissing her. "Somebody wants, to have some time, with his girl friend."   
"Then she would tell me that I'm fired." said Kate breaking off and giving him the wounded dog look.   
"Ok, ok, I forgive you. But just promise me that next time you'll say no...Please?" asked Carter, holding the chart that Kate was about to take just out of her reach.  
"Fine, I'll try." agreed Kate. Now will you let me go do my job?" asked Kate angily reaching for the chart.   
"Give me kiss first." said Carter, moving away just in time to avoid her prying hands. Kate placed a kissed a kiss on Johns nose and then promptly snatched the chart and walked off to exam three. Carter just stood there for a sec, not knowing how he had lost the chart.  
  
"Girl, he's got it bad." said Haleh.   
"Uhuh. It's written all over his face in pink ink." agreed Chunney as the two snickered. Carter had a bit of pink lip gloss on his nose.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The man looked nervously at his surroundings. He quickly ducked behind a large pot plant as a pair of security guards walked past. Taking out his moblie phone from one of his pockets, he began to dial a long-distance number.  
"Yeah, yeah mate I got the orders." said the man to whoever was on the other line in his weird accent. It was half French, quarter English and a quarter American. However, his demeanor and looks were distinctly Lebanese.   
"No, I'll be at the hospital in a tick.... Give me some fucking time, I'm not God for heaven sakes!" He yelled but soon regretted it as another pair of guards rounded extremely close to the pot plant., The strange man ducked down behind another pot plant and whispering as loud as he could into his phone yelled, "Look, I'm getting there, ok? yes, I promise to call as soon as I'm there, Are you going to even let me get to the damn place? Ok. bye." and with that, he snapped his phone off and stuffed it back into the pocket from where it came from. Checking his surroundings once more, the escaped prisoner with a mission walked briskly outside and expertly called a cab and got inside.   
"Cook County General Hospital, please." he said, as the car's wheels screeched away from the curb...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"John, could you do me the biggest favour ever?" asked Kate as Carter was getting ready to leave.   
"If you promise to tell Weaver that you can't take another double shift, then, yes." but Kate didn't really hear what he was saying.   
"Ok fine. Could you to my apartment and take care of Cherry-Ripe for me?"   
"Huh?"   
"Remember my Labrador- well, I've gotten Sarah to send him to me cause I missed him too much and he's at my apartment right now. Here's the keys- Go!" said Kate putting the keys into John's hands and practically pushing him out of the ER.   
"But..."   
"John- I know you can, I believe in you. Now GO before I sign up for every extra shift this week!" yelled Kate as she continued her was to exam two.  
"Fine, ok, whatever." said Carter as he walked out of the hospital shaking his head in amassment. 'How am I supposed to look after a dog, all I've ever had was horses?'   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Climbing out of the cab, the man threw the cabby a whole stack of bills. Slamming the door he looked around. Shading his eyes from the setting sun, he disappeared behind a parked ambulance, EMT's stood in a group, joking round with wheel chairs. The man quietly unzipped his pocket and took out his phone, talking immediately to whoever was on the line waiting. "I'm here." he whispered, turning round to make sure no one had noticed him.   
"There's a tall fellow coming out now, looks foreign..."   
"Not that one idiot!" said a voice over the phone in an angry tone.   
"Tall, young, *American* and brown hair. Can't miss him."   
"Is that him?" asked the man looking a little more to see Carter walking out. "Brown hair, tall, American..."   
"Yeah that's him." said the man, walking low towards another ambulance and ducked once more even closer to the group of EMT's.   
"GO! GO! GO!" yelled the man on the other line. The kidnapper dropped the phone back into his waiting pocket and took a bottle of liquid and a thick cloth as big as a small baby blanket. The bottle was made from a thick plastic and was heavy looking. Before opening the container, he took out a black, ugly mask that would not let him smell anything but nothingness and put it over his head. Un-screwing the lid, the man poured a large amount of the lotion onto the cloth, saturating the material with the stinking liquid. Still following Carter the man ran, bent from the waste down to avoid suspicion into the car park and then stopped behind a green Cadillac which was parked next to a black jeep....  
  
Carter looked nervously around. 'I thought I saw something... Nah, must have been my imagination which has been running pretty wildly lately.' he though to himself as he chuckled away. Digging around in his pockets for his keys, Carter couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. 'Once I get into the car, I'll feel better.' he said, trying to reassure himself as he slid the key smoothly into the lock. Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed him from behind. Before John could react, the man stuffed the cloth that was soaked with chloroform around Carter's mouth and dragging the now-drunk looking doctor into the jeep, he speed off out of the carpark and onto the highway, Carter trying his best to say awake but failing miserably.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Dr Hobart?" asked Frank, following her as she made her way to the Lounge. "Whatever it is, forget it because I'm off and outta here." said Kate ignoring Frank who persisted onwards even if he was going to get a verbal bantering.   
"There is a guy on line four saying that he has your Labrador waiting in front of your apartment. He just can't leave him there."   
"Your joking, right?" said Kate stopping just in front of the door, about to go in. "No joke." said Frank seriously.   
"Which line?"   
"Four." said Frank as he left Kate to do all the talking.   
"Hello. Look I'm sorry, I sent someone to get my dog, is there a problem.... What do you mean he never came? Ok, ok, I'm leaving now I'll get there in about fifteen minuets, I'll pay you I have no money problems.... hold your horses I'll get there." Kate slammed down the phone and ran as fas as she could to the lounge.   
"He's in big trouble." she muttered to no one in particular as she ran past a confused Frank.   
"Not me." he declared, turning back to his job.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Carter awoke to hearing the sound of a motor and the putrid smell of manure. Sitting up and stretching his tight mussels, he felt a pile of sacks underneath him and a thick, black blanket which smelt like fresh straw was over him. His legs were tied together at the ankles and his arms were bundled together behind him, making Carter even more uncomfortable. Feeling a small draft, John looked up to notice that the truck, vehicle or whatever had holes in the roof where the stars seemed to be racing by. Sighing, Carter looked around the carriage where he was imprisoned and saw nothing but darkness meaning it was night. looking to his left, he saw the silhouette of his mysterious driver. Trying to look at his watch but remembering that his hands were tied behind his back, Carter wished he had somehow learnt how to tell time like Kate- without a watch. Trashing his legs round as softly so as not to warn the driver, Carter realized that it was fruitless. Sighing once again, John knew one thing. That he was stuck there for the time being. As he stared at the stars running across the roof, he thought about Kate and the promise he had made; to take care of cherry-ripe and laughed bitterly at how ironic it was.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"What the hell...." said Kate to herself as she walked across the carpark. She knew that Carter would have taken his car and if he was still in the building, then his car would still be there. However, his car was gone and his lab coat and stereoscope was lying on the floor in a messy pile in the spot where his jeep should have been. Kate bent over and picked up John's things. Feeling that the coat had no warmth, she noticed how that things in his pocket had spilled out and onto the greasy floor like it had been done on purpose. Looking around, she also noticed that fresh tire marks were embedded thickly onto the cement. Kate glanced nervously around the parking lot and knew that something must have happened to John. Something that was not right...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Wakey Wakey doc." said a mean looking man, waking Carter from his slumber. He was not the same man from the airport, but instead had a long beard that was a reddish-orange colour. His hair on his head on his head was past his shoulders. He had green eye's and was extremely short. Not fat or chubby, but heavily built.   
"What?" said Carter as he sat up and rubbed his eye's, trying to get rid of the sleepiness that was left in them.   
"I said get up doc, the others are waiting for you." said the man kicking him again in the shin. Carter didn't want to get kicked a third time so he shut up and just rubbed the sore spot and stumbled after the man. John looked round to find himself in some sought of warehouse. In Chicago, he had no idea. The man was short but by no means was he a slow walker. Carter had to walk very fast to keep up with him but his legs, weak from being tied together all night long were stiff and didn't feel like his own. They turned a corner and then walked down the corridor. There were many doors along it but none were open and the man did not stop to even look in tem as hey walked past. 'I wonder what's in there.' thought Carter to himself. 'Must be stolen merchandise or something.' Suddenly the man stopped at a door at the near end of the corridor. The door was painted differently form the other doors. For starters, this one was a dark black as the others was a plain white. Carter stood nervously tucking in his shirt and straightening his clothes from his night of sleeping on the floor as the man searched for the key that Carter thought would open the door. However, the man didn't even touch the door knob. Instead he unlocked the window which was strangely on the inside of the corridor and yelled to the person that was inside.   
"Hey, Jimbo's, got 'im wanna see 'im?"   
"Nah, probably some retarded twerp if that girly likes him." came the voice from inside. At hearing this Carter, realized that Kate had something to do with all this. 'Hope she'll be ok.'   
"Nope- a doc! Can you believe it?"   
"A doc? She's done well ay, the bitch has done proper." after this was being said, the two men laughed uncontrollably for half a minuet. Carter felt like punching the man that had called Kate a bitch but knew it would only make matters worse. As they laughed, his cheeks got hot and teeth clenched together, he controlled his temper by stamping his foot as bluntly as he could. They never noticed.   
"Dump 'im in the back wi' da others." said the man from inside the room.   
'There must be other captives.' concluded Carter to himself as the man roughly shoved John from behind and made him walk in front of him to the next door which was also another colour- this time a blood red colour...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Dr Weaver, have you seen John around lately?" asked Kate coming up behind the older red-head.   
"No, actually I thought he left three hours ago. Why?" said Kerry, stopping beside Kate, giving he full attention.   
"Well, I've asked him to take care of my Labrador after his shift and then the guy who was looking after him before Carter was supposed to called and anyway, apparently he hadn't picked him up yet. When I went out into the carpark, I found this." explained Kate giving Carter's lab coat, scope and notebook which had once been carefully stowed away in his pocket.   
"I went to his apartment, asked the neighbors, the nurses, been round the whole hospital and I can't find him." said Kate as politely as she could be but the truth was that she was worried sick. John had never done this before and even though she hadn't known him for a long time, she knew that he would never ditch her like that. "Ok, well, we can't report him missing for another twenty-one hours, however, we can get security on it. Don't worry, he'll be fine." said Kerry, but noticed that she wasn't exactly very comforting.   
"Why don't you go home?"   
"No, I'll be fine. If I go home, I'd just worry myself sick." said Kate, her eyes begging to stay.   
"Ok. I'm sure he'll be fine." said Kerry walking away, leaving a sad looking Kate at the door to the Lounge. Kerry sounded upbeat, but as she rarely showed any emotion, this was one time where she wasn't going to let herself fall thorough the cracks. 'I'm sure he'll be fine.' she told herself as she dialed the number of security on a phone that was inside an empty exam room. However, Carter was far from being fine....  
  
~*~*~*~   
  
  



	2. Part 2

  
Part 2  
  
It seemed like eternity before the mean-looking man opened the door to reveal a science labs that looked exactly like the ones at schools with built in sinks at the tables and cabinets with labels adorning the walls. There was a black board which was a clear, green colour. Carter looked inside and at first thought that the room was empty, but at the back was a bunch of children, no older than thirteen looking at Carter and the mean-looking guy with fear.  
"Allo. You've got yourselves a new mate'y 'ere. Be sure to take care of 'im!" said the man cheerfully before leaving the kid's with Carter, crackling loudly at the joke only he thought was funny. John was left with the sad looking bunch of kids staring back up at him.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"You haven't found John yet, have you?" asked a haggard looking Kate as Kerry came through the doors of the Lounge. Kate looked into her black coffie with tired eyes.   
"No." Came the answer that Kate was expecting. She looked down at her watch. It's been over twenty-four hours, I think we should call someone." said Kerry walking up to Kate.   
"Do you want me to do it? You should go home you haven't slept all night, as Luka told me."  
"No, I'll do it and I'll be fine."   
"Will you at least sleep in an exam room? I know that John would hate it if you were up because of him...." Kate sighed. She knew that Kerry was right and nodded.   
"Yeah, I will." Kerry walked to her locker, Kate just sitting on the well-loved couch sipping her scorching drink until Weaver finished getting her things. Kate got up tiredly and picked up the phone from the wall and then sat down again. She hesitated before dialing the number. 'What if he came through the door in the next ten minuets?' but Kate knew it was worthless trying. Looking towards the door to make sure that he wasn't going to walk in, Kate began to dial the number.   
"Hello, um, I need to report a missing person... yeah, he's been missing for over twenty-for hours...."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Carter had never seen such a sorry looking bunch of children in his life. One girl was wounded on the arm. She had dirty bandages wrapped around it and another boy had quiet a deep cut on his forehead. Other than that, the others were fine. Carter kneeled beside the girl with the wound. She had long pigtails of dark brown hair. Her green eyes stared up at him in fright.   
"Don't worry." said Carter as soothingly as he could. "I'm not going to hurt you. Can I take a look, I'm a doctor." he said, moving gently to remove the bandages which looked like it had been made out of somebody's jacket. Looking at the wound which had stopped bleeding, Carter re-bandaged it tighter. It looked ok. For now.   
"What happened?" he asked directing the question to the whole group. They had all lost their frightened look, but as soon as he mentioned the fact of why they were stuck in a science lab, fear returned. However a boy in the front row, with red hair and a cut on his forehead began to tell their story...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Kate, go home." said Kerry coming into the Lounge for her shift to see Kate napping on the couch.   
"What? Huh? Oh Doctor Weaver." said Kate sitting up and looking round.  
"Kate, go home." repeated Kerry.   
"No, I'm fine."   
"Well, you know that if you stayed here for another minuet and Carter found out about it he'd be yell at me?" said Weaver walking in front of Kate and in her demanding tone, prodded Kate towards the door. "Go!"   
"But..." pleaded Kate. If Carter had come to the ER and she wasn't there she would never forgive herself.   
"Go! I will call you as soon as we get some news."   
"Fine," agreed Kate. "If you promise to update me on the slightest thing, I'll go." sighed Kate as she got up and put away her things in her locker. Grabbing her light jacket, Kate looked at the recent picture of her and John taken just two days ago that was taped on the inside of her locker. Both of them looked so happy and in love. 'If only we could be like that now.' thought Kate to herself as she left the lounge. But before she opened the door, she turned towards Kerry.   
"I miss him." she said simply before she turned to walk out of the Lounge.   
"I do too." said Kerry softly as she watched Kate's slender form make it's way outside the ER.  
  
~*~*~*~   
  
"We were in science with Mrs Prunnett when a guy came through the doors and demanded that she give him the keys to the storeroom. You see, Mrs Prunnett was our assistant principle....  
  
***Flash back***  
  
A knock could be heard at the door. Mrs Prunnett, a short, chubby little lady with thick glasses turned away from her scientific calculations on the board to face whoever had come in.   
"Yes, how can I help you?" she asked politely, in her soft but demanding tone.   
"Yes, I need your store-room keys, please." the man asked, his beard moving strangely up and down as he spoke. Kid's in the back row couldn't stop laughing, but Mrs Prunnett ignored them.   
"For the science labs?"   
"Yes." he answered, his eyes flashing suspiciously around the classroom. It was as if he was memorizing where everything was and it's order.   
"Sorry- but I can't give them to you." answered Mrs Prunnett.   
"Why not." came the man's quick come back. At hearing that getting those key's could be a more difficult task than planed, his eyes grew cold and focused on Mrs Purnnett, who stood her ground.   
"First of all, I have no idea who you are and secondly, I cannot give the key to just anybody and at the moment as you can see, I'm teaching a class." The whole class by now was silent. All of the children were staring back and forth at this verbal bantering between Mrs Prunnett and the Strange Man.   
"Lady, you don't want to see me when I'm angry." he threatened.   
"You hand over those keys or, or, I'll shoot!" and saying that, the man pulled out his automatic pistol. The children in the room all gasped and a small girl in the front row started to cry.   
"Ok, ok, I'll give you the key's if you leave the children alone." said Mrs Prunnett calmly as she eyed the dangerous piece of metal in the gunner's hands.   
"Hey, you all you kids get up and move to the back of the room." ordered the man, directing the gun from in front of the teacher's face to the group of children. Everyone jumped from their seats and quickly walked to the back of the room. Some even ran, but none of them took their eye's off the man as they fled.   
"You, show me the store room." Mrs Prunnett didn't give a second thought, but walked stiffly to a small door next to the black board that was painted a light blue colour and had the sign 'Store Room' in large block letters. Taking out her large key ring, she began to flip through them one by one. Her hands were shaking nervously as she tried to prolong going into the room.   
"HURRY UP!" he screamed. Everyone jumped and Mrs Purnnett dropped her keys. Bending down quickly, she scooped the hand-full of metal and expertly flipped to a bright green key. Slipping it into the lock, the physcopath began to lick his lips in anticipation...  
  
*** End Flash back for time being***  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  



	3. Part 3

  
  
Part 3  
  
Kate closed the lid of the piano and re-covered the polished wood with it's deep red cover. Sighing, she walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. She had spent most of the night drowning her sorrows in the melody and rhythm of old tunes from composers who had already gone before her. Sitting on the sofa, she looked at the glass of water. She hadn't been able to eat anything that wasn't baby foodish and keep it down. 'Maybe I already knew that this was coming.' thought Kate to herself as she sipped from the glass that John had used from the night when he had stayed over...  
  
***Flash Back***  
  
"You coming inside?" asked Kate as she unlocked the door to her apartment.   
"No, no I'd better get going." said Carter turning to leave.  
"You could stay over." said Kate giving him the puppy-dog face.   
"Well... ok." he agreed, stepping inside the apartment.   
"Want anything?"   
"No thanks."   
"Ok, well, you don't mind if we watch a movie?" asked Kate kneeling in front of the VCR cabinet.   
"Not at all. What have you got?"   
"Umm, I've got the 'First Wives Club', 'Babe.' and a heap of other cheap chick-flicks. These are the best I got." She offered, holding out the two videos.   
"Babe, I guess. What's that about?" asked Carter looking at the strange cover with a whole bunch of animals on it.   
"You never watched Babe?" said Kate in amassment. "Oh, that's right- your American." Carter softly tapped Kate on the head with the video box.   
"Ok, Ok, I promise I won't tease you about being an American anymore." promised Kate as she walked to the kitchen. "Popcorn!" she announced proudly as she sat next to John with a huge bowl filled with the fluffy white kernels.  
"Yeah, one of the few things that you don't screw up in the kitchen."   
"Shhhh! It's about to start." whispered Kate as the movie began with it's sad beginning.  
"You know, John, maybe we should take it to the bedroom." suggested Kate as she began to undo Carter's front buttons.   
"Maybe, maybe we should stop." said John, breaking off.   
"Why?" asked Kate in confusion.   
"I, I just don't want you to wake up regretting what we've done."   
"I won't." said Kate, sure of herself.   
"Really?" said Carter surprised that she was so sure that it was what she wanted. "Yeah, really." she confirmed as the two continued.   
  
***End Flash back***  
  
Kate smiled at the memory. However, she remembered one thing that she had totally forgotten about. "Oh, no...."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
***Contine Flash back***  
  
Mrs Prunnett swung the door open as everyone held their breath. The mad man rushed past, pushing the scared teacher out of the way. Giggling like a pack of school girls that had just found out the secret of boys, he ran into the room. Mrs Prunnett, like any other dignified teacher, held the values of not slamming doors. She drew her chest in and stepping forward, slammed the door as the man kept giggling and caring on.   
"Hurry up, run! RUN!" whispered Mrs Prunnett urgently as she began to help the children get up and run to the door. "Go! Go ! Go!" all of them were wide eyed and faces white, fled as fast as they could. Some were in so much haste that they fell over chairs which had been left out of place. The psycho wasn't daunted by the closed door. Suddenly a loud boom could be heard. Nobody stopped to look back as they dashed past the door until the sound of a mad man's laugh could be heard and ten shots were fired through the door, and into four innocent children and Mrs Prunnett. At where the white store room door once was, the mad man, machine gun in hand stood, shots firing left and right as blood sprayed everywhere; staining everything in sight.....  
  
***End Flash back***  
  
"The four children and Mrs Prunnett were taken away and the blood was cleaned, I think." said the boy looking up at Carter.   
"Is that the store room?" asked Carter pointing at a dark room missing a door. "Yeah." He answered looking back down at his shoes. "Then all these men sought of invaded the school."   
"This is a school?" said John in wonder. 'That must have been the GYM then.' "Yeah." said the boy, nodding his head and then wincing in pain.   
"How long have you had that cut?"   
"I dunno, about five hours?" said the boy slowly massaging his temples.   
"Looks like a concussion, you should lie down." advised Carter as he sat down near the boy, cross-legged and looked at the cut.  
"Nah, I'll be fine Doc."   
"Where exactly are we and when did all this happen?" asked Carter. 'Surely the FBI would know by now.'   
"Started as soon as science started, bout nine." John breathed a sigh of relief. 'Not bad.' He thought to himself as he looked down at his watch 'just a couple of hours ago.'  
"I ment yesterday morning, Doc, It's noon now."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Kate, it's Kerry. I hate to call you, but we need you down here, it's a mad house. We also have some information on John that I think is better to tell you in person. Well, bye." came Kerry's voice on the answering machine in Kate's apartment. Kate sighed. She had barely been able to get a wink sleep since her double shift without knowing John was alright. Hell, she hadn't even changed out of her work clothes and it was past midnight. She got up from her sofa, rubbing her eyes. Physically and mentally exhausted, she pulled on a dark green jacket, shoes and grabbing her backpack, Kate walked as fast as she could out the door.  
"Excuse me, dear?" asked a kindly old lady who approached Kate as she was almost on her way out of her apartment block in pink fuzzy slippers and a huge white robe. "Yes, how can I help you?" answered Kate, putting on her 'I'm busy, I'm tired but I'm too nice. Get on with it!' smile.   
"Well, Miss Hobart, you told me to look after your dog." said the old woman slowly. "And...." said Kate, gently trying to prod her along.   
"And i was wondering when you'd like him back." she finished off simply.   
"Well, ah, I'm really busy and I might need you to take care of him for a week." said Kate desperately. 'I had totally forgotten about Cherry!' she thought to herself.  
"Well, dear, it's fine Don't worry about anything I'll take good care of him. Just make me a promise." said the lady, striking a deal.   
"What is it? I'll do anything."   
"Make sure that one day that you'll visit me for a cuppa and a chat."   
"Yup, I will, soon. Thankyou!" yelled Kate who was already on her way out the door. Little did she know that she would be making a visit very soon....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"You've been stuck in here for over twenty-four hours?" questioned Carter in disbelief. "Yeah, Doc I know how to tell the time." said a dark-skinned girl sitting next to the boy with the cut. John dragged his hand over his face, which was rough with a nights growth of beard.   
"Well, I'll see what I can do to get you all out of here but first perhaps we should get to know each other and where the hell we are."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey Randi, where's Dr Weaver?" asked Kate politely. Randi looked up, gum snapping away in her mouth and her huge hoop earrings dangling.   
"I think she's in trauma."   
"Oh, when she gets out, tell her I'm in the Lounge ok?" "Sure." answered Randi, turning back to the computer screen.  
Kate walked tiredly to the Lounge. But just before she got there, she noticed that exam four was empty. Looking around to make sure no one was following her or needed her attention, Kate slipped quietly into the dark room. Turning on the light, she made her way to the bed. Reaching underneath a cart which held medical supplies, Kate took out a needle, syringe and other instruments needed in order to take a blood sample. Wiping an area on her arm clean with an alcohol swipe, she eased the needle in her arm and watched as the vial began to fill with the red liquid.   
Once the container was filled, she took out the needle and put it into a box labeled 'sharps'. Placing a piece of cotton and securing it with a Band-Aid, She dug round in her pocket and came up with a black pen. 'I can't write my own name on the label.' Thinking for a moment of what to write, Kate scribbled 'Sarah Rapa' in a neat scribble. "Sorry Sarah, I just need your name." she whispered to herself before ordering a pregnancy test...  
  
~*~*~*~   
  
"So where are we exactly?" asked Carter not trusting that his ears had heard right. "Like I said, Doc, were in Indianapolis. St Michel's high." answered the boy with the cut who John knew now as 'Martin.'   
"And where're on the third floor?"   
"Yup."   
"And were're the only prisoners left?" Carter said, making sure he had his facts right. "Oh, no." said Martin shaking his head.   
"There are many other classrooms being held hostage. The only thing I don't know Doc is how many other Kids are still in the building." said Martin sadly. Carter looked around the large classroom shaking his head. Walking to a window in the corner, he tried to open it, looking down at a dark and shadowy playground which was empty.   
"We've tried that, they're locked from the inside as well as out." John sighed in frustration. Noticing a map-like sign beside the door labeled 'fire escape plan.' Carter walked toward it and began to study the map, the children curiously gathering round them.   
"I think we can do something." said Carter as he traced a pathway through the maze of classrooms on the map....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  



	4. Part 4

  
  
Part 4  
  
"Sorry to keep you waiting." said Kerry, coming into the Lounge.   
"That's ok. Gave me some time to think. So, what's happening?" asked Kate curiously standing up. Kerry motioned for her to sit back down and she did so, Kerry sitting opposite her.   
"They've found Carter."   
"Is he ok?" asked Kate anxiously.   
"He's fine, at the moment." There was silence in the room. Kate looked up at Kerry. "Excuse me?"   
"He's fine." confirmed Kerry, not wanting to give the whole story.  
"No, wait, you said 'At the moment.' What about in the next thirty seconds? Are you suggesting that John's being tortured?" said Kate, her accent rising with each word in fear.   
"Woah, woah, let's not jump to conclusions." said Kerry trying to comfort Kate.   
"No, look Kerry I want the whole story and I want it now!" demanded Kate, her eyes glazed over with tears which were ready to fall if she let them.   
"Ok, hold on. I'll start from the beginning."   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"So, you said they only came once a day to check on you?" asked Carter, getting his facts straight.   
"Oh, twice. Just at twelve to give us food. They came at midnight and at noon yesterday." said the girl with the dirty bandage on her arm now known as Crystal. "Ok, so then when they dropped me off here, that would be the last time you would see them till tonight?"   
"Uhuh. What's the plan Doc, you haven't told us yet." said Martin impatiently.  
"Hold on a sec, your getting ahead of me here. How do know no one is around?" asked Carter.   
"We don't. That's why we haven't left this room."  
"So, then, for all we know, there may be guards outside this room?"  
"Look, Doc, we don't know anything about guards. But I can tell you one thing- It's gonna be hell getting out of here." advised Martin, Crystal nodding in agreement. As the other younger Children are reminded of this fate, they all looked helplessly at Carter.   
"Ok, ok, I agree but we can't get ahead of ourselves. Before we do anything, we better be well prepared." Suddenly, the man returned. This time with a friend...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"So John is being held hostage in Indianapolis, in a school which has over five hundred children locked up, in various rooms by kidnappers." said Kate slowly.   
"That's what we know so far." said Kerry, nodding sadly as Kate went through the facts. She sighed. Looking down, Kerry noticed a tear drop off Kate's cheek and onto her had where she wiped it away angily.   
"I shouldn't have taken that extra shift." said Kate sobbing. "If I hadn't then perhaps the kidnapper would have left him alone. Maybe we would have gone out to dinner instead of the cafeteria and it's, it's just all my fault"   
"Oh, Kate. I could blame myself for even offering you the job. No one's to blame much less you." said Kerry gently rubbing Kate's shoulder to calm her down.   
"I know, I know, I just help feeling guilty. He even begged me not to take the shift and, and I made him go get Cherry." said Kate begging to calm down.  
Suddenly the Lounge door opened.   
"Dr Hobart, here's the results you asked for." said Frank, walking towards Kate and handing her a light pink slip of computer paper. Kate sat back down on the couch and folded the paper in half, looking up the whole time. Kerry looked curiously at the slip, wondering what it was but didn't say anything.   
"Page me if you need anything, ok?"   
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry."  
"No patients." advised Kerry limping slowly out the door.   
"I know, Dr Weaver, I'll be fine."   
"See ya."   
"See ya." said Kate to the back of the Lounge door. Kerry had already left, a nurse yelling for her attention.   
She sighed. Re-opening the tightly folded pink piece of paper, Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Looking down to read a result that she already knew and felt. Positive. She was pregnant.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Planing to escape, huh?" said the man with a thick, black beard. He was short, muscular and seemed to me from Italian origins.   
Carter just stared back up at his eyes, not answering.   
"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" suggested the clean shaven man behind him. He had a suite, tie and carried a brown suite case in his right hand. Unlike all the other kidnappers, this one was much cleaner and seemed to be the boss.   
"What do you think, Boss, chuck him and his little friends in the dungeon?" said the Italian guy."  
"Yeah, just Doc here and girly and her boyfriend." advised the boss, pointing to Carter, Crystal and Martin.   
Crystal was starring at the 'Boss' with pur hatred in her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend you bloody dick head." she yelled.  
"Feisty little one." said the 'Boss', slapping her face. "Lock 'em up and I'll deal with them latter."   
"Yes master." 'So I was right.' thought Carter to himself as He was being tied up with some thick orange rope. 'He is the boss.'  
"Also, make sure that the note to his lover get's sent."   
"I will." agreed the bearded man. And with that, the 'Boss' turned and walked out the room, Carter, Crystal and Martin being pushed roughly out the door. He may have been short, but by no means was he weak.  
John looked apologetically at the group of children he had to leave behind as the trio were being kicked and pushed out the door.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kate looked at the paper. "I knew it. I, I just did." she said to herself. However, this piece of paper just seemed to confirm it all. "Oh God, I gotta get out of here." said Kate. She scrunched the slip in anger and frustration and threw it into the waste bin by the door, not caring if she missed, picked up her jacket and rushed out the door tears welling up behind her eyes again. She ran past the desk yelling at Randi. "Tell Dr Weaver that I had to leave and to call if they found anything out."   
"Uhuh." said Randi, watching in curiosity as Kate fled from the ER.  
"John , I need you here." she whispered to herself as ran, the wind wiping her hair into her eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The three were taken out of the large science lab and down several corridors. Carter tried to peak in one of the many classrooms as they walked past, but the man wouldn't stand for it. He got a sharp slap in the face. Wincing, John ducked back behind Martin. However, he did get a look. He saw another group of children, all scared, crouched together in a corner by the teachers desk. Carter felt so sorry for them and as he looked down, a lone tear dropped from his eyes. His whole being itched to help them, but knew it was no use. 'I've gotta wait for the right time. The only problem is when will be the right time?' he said to himself as the man stopped by a red door that had a large metal bolt in place, double guarded by a second pad-lock.   
"Here we are, the Ritz." said the man snickering.   
pushing them all in the dark room, he locked the door shut and left the trio in the dark, scared and helplessly tied up.  
"Wait till the Boss comes. He'll know what to do with you." he said as he bolted the door and dangled the key's teasingly as Carter heard footsteps walking down the hall   
leaving them alone.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kate ran up the step's to her apartment block, suddenly feeling very tired, puffed out and noticing that running wasn't helping any. Walking slowly up the stairs, she found herself outside the kindly old Mrs Spindle's door. 'Maybe I get to see Cherry.' thought Kate to herself as she sniffled and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. Looking unintentionally at her watch, Kate noticed that it was four in the morning. Immediately regretting the fact that she had knock on the door at so early in the morning, she turned back to continue up her way to her apartment. But before she could even make it to the stairs, Mrs Spindle had already opened the door.   
"Miss Hobart?"   
"Oh. I'm sorry to bother you at such an early hour, I'd better..."  
"No bother. I up at this hour everyday anyway." said the kindly old woman who beckoned Kate to enter with her chubby but welcoming hand.  
Kate silently walked through the door her head bent down as she thanked the lady.  
Mrs Spindle's home was the same size and design as Kate's apartment but looked much more homey than Kate's plain white mostly empty apartment. Her walls were a beautiful pale blue colour and was adorned with landscapes of what seemed to be a farm and many portraits photographs.   
"I'll go put a kettle on dear, make yourself as home." said Mrs Spindle as she directed Kate to the over stuffed-very comfy looking couch.   
"Thankyou." said Kate sitting down.  
Mrs Spindle came back, a large old looking silver tray laden down with tea, biscuits and coffie.   
"Oh Mrs Spindle, you really shouldn't have." said Kate helping the old woman to put the tray down on the table .  
"Call me Katrina. I have to pamper someone once in a while."   
Mrs Spindle, now known as Katrina poured tea for both and handed a cup to Kate.   
"Miss Hobart-"  
"Kate."  
"Ok , Kate, it's great having you here, but I also noticed that must have been more than a friendly visit." said Katrin as she watched Kate slowly sip her hot drink.  
"Well, one reason was to get Cherry, but I'm starting to think that perhaps he's sleeping." Kate said, trying to think of a reasonable reason to say why she was there at four in the morning.  
"Yes, I've never seen a dog sleep so soundly."   
"Well, Cherry-Ripe is, ah, deaf in his right ear."   
"Oh, I'm sorry." said Katrin, sensing how close Kate and Cherry were. "Well, I'm sorry but I'm still not convinced. Is there something else?"   
"Yeah." whispered Kate softly. "John has gone missing. He's been kidnapped, I'm just so worried."  
"John is your..."  
"Boy-friend. I still think that it's my fault even if not directly." said Kate sadly, putting her head down to stare at the deep brown liquid.  
"Oh.Well, you should know that it's not your fault."   
"How would you know?" aid Kate, not lifting up her head.  
"Oh, I know. Trust me. Want another cup?" offered Katrin.   
"No than-" suddenly a beeping sounded from her jeans pocket. Reaching in it to find a small pager, Kate looked at the window and found a 'triple' zero.   
"Do you mind if I could borrow your phone?"   
"No, no of course not." said Katrin, directing Kate towards the white slim-line telephone which Kate hurriedly dialed with shaking fingers.  
"Hurry up, Hurry up, Hurry up!" she whispered to herself as she imagined all the things that they could be paging her for.   
"Ah hello, can I speak to Dr Weaver?"   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Shit, shit, shit!" yelled Martin as he repeatedly kicked the door in frustration.   
"Hey!" said Carter. It was pitch black in the room and even though he felt scared, hopeless and knew without seeing that Crystal was about to cry, Carter tried his best to get Martin out of his violent mood and to stop assaulting the door.  
"I feel like kicking the door too, man and then telling the 'Boss' to kiss my ass and to go fuck himself but I gotta pull myself together and you do to man, we got kids to save." He reasoned, trying to calm the angry teen down.   
"You don't know shit man! You promised..."  
"I did not promise anything." said Carter. "I can't make any promises that I'm sure I can keep; nobody can."   
Martin began to quieten down and hung his head in shame.   
"But there is one promise I can make." said Carter, lifting Martin's chin up to face his dark shadow.  
"That would be try my absolute best to get everyone out of this mess."  
"How can you be so sure your gonna even make it out of this room alive?' came a voice from behind the bolted door...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Dr weaver?" said Kate uncertainly as she approached the fiery redhead at the desk.  
"Oh, Kate, your here. Great! The police really need to speak to you." said Kerry, turning around.   
"Why?"   
"Well, I, maybe you should ask them." said Kerry, not wanting to give the bad news away as she lead Kate towards the Lounge.  
"Kate, this is officer Patterson, Officer Patterson this is Kate Hobart."   
"Pleasure." said Patterson, offering his bulky hand and gesturing for Kate to sit down. He was a heavily built man- not fat just, heavy. He had a hair cut which looked like it was too short and a beard which was a weird unatural-orangy looking colour.  
"Miss Hobart-"  
"Kate."   
"Kate," said the officer starting again. "Did you know a 'Sigfred Hofman' back from Australia?"   
"Uh, no. No, I don't." said Kate curiously, wondering where this line of questioning was going.  
"Does the name 'Harry Hofman' ring a bell?" suggested Patterson, leaning forward as he tried to gauge Kate's reaction.  
"No... no your joking..." said Kate, her eyes beginning to grow round with fear. 'No. Not him. No. My fault!'   
"Have you heard of him?" she persisted.  
"He's dead- he is, I know he is..."  
"Kate, you've got to calm down." said Kerry, rubbing Kate's back soothingly as Kate's eye's began to fill with tears for the third time. "Give Officer Patterson time to explain."  
Kate nodded in agreement.  
"He's the one behind the operation. Hofman is angered over the death of his brother and has chosen young Dr Carter here to take it all out. Are you in someway related to this man?"   
"Yea-yeah, He almost rap.. raped me." stuttered Kate as Kerry looked suprised at the news.   
"Well, there's our connection. Do you have the number for the detective that was working on your case?" asked the Officer, his face widening in a grin as he watched Kate try desperately to forget what she had been told.  
"No."  
"Kate, we need the number."  
"It's in my locker." said Kate as she shakily up from her seat. Her head was shaking in disbelief as she backed out of the Lounge and almost bumped into Mailk.   
"Kate... Kate?" asked Kerry getting up to follow.  
"I- I really got... got to go." she said before bolting towards the electric sliding doors and running out into the sprinkling snow which had just began to fall. It was freezing but Kate didn't feel the falling temperature as she ran, not caring where she was going, not caring if she froze to death. No Jacket, not remembering anything except that she was responsible. Responsible for John's kidnap...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Who is it?" came Carter's anxious voice. He knew who it was, but he had to make sure. Martin gave him a slight kick on the ankle as if to say. 'Why did you ask that?'  
A half-hearted chuckle came from the other side of the door. The trio could see a black, ugly shadow rock from side to side, blocking a fair amount of the faint light that had managed to creep under the door.  
"Thought you'd know who I was by now."  
Everyone stayed silent. Crystal had lost her tears in fright and she too stood like the others waiting to see what the 'Boss' would do next.   
"Everybody alright?" he said in a sickly sweet tone.   
"Were're fine. What are you going to do with us? Let us out!" yelled Martin.   
"Oh, oh what a feisty temper we have here." said the man, beginning to chuckle again. Carter gave Martin a tap on the shoulder to remind him of what they had to do.  
"Well, I don't know." Boss paused again and then, it was if they could feel the smile work it's way across his mouth.  
"Alright. everybody out." He said in an overly cheerful tone.   
The door was unbolted and thrown open. Crystal, Martin and Carter stumbled out, not yet use to the brightness after being in the dark for a long time. To his surprise, Carter felt several pairs of hands tie his arms behind his back and roughly push a gag around his mouth. He struggled to breath, the gagged smelled of manure and was covering a part of his nose.   
The three struggled, screamed lame screams and kicked for all it was worth but were held down. Finally being able to see where they were being taken, Carter noticed that they were travelling down another corridor.   
This time they were taken to the bathrooms. Each prisoner was pushed into a room. Crystal to the Ladies and Martin and John into the Men's...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  



	5. Part 5

Part 5   
  
Kate found herself at the front of O'hare airport, gate seven waiting anxiously for something. She didn't know why, where or how she even got there all that she could remember was that a week ago, a note arrived saying to meet the 'Unexpected' at Gate seven.   
The other reason was because she couldn't stand the surprised look from Kerry and the 'It's nothing Kiddo' look from the Patterson guy. It was like, like a joke. All that she had been through in the past two years, before and after her parents died was like a dream. Floating here, there until reality decides to wack you in the face with cold hard facts and what's it really like out there. It was the brother. Ok. Just the brother- nothing to be ashamed of..... except, except...... I couldn't help it. Couldn't help feeling like if I didn't come here so soon, if I hadn't rushed at the chance to get rid of my problems that perhaps John would be fine, at County and safe. What a word. I hadn't felt like that in a while- not until I met John.  
"Sarah?"  
"Yeah, who else would I be, President Clinton? Is this kind of welcome you give an old buddy- that stare? It's me, get over it." said Sarah, a blond woman, medium height, slender figure and a huge brown suit case trailing behind her on it's squeaky wheels. Sarah looked pretty ordinary, like the lady you would see at the supermarket counter counting your change or like the person in the joggers walking the dog who is lifting it's leg at each tree it passes.  
"Sarah!!! My best Buddy!" yelled Kate as she enveloped her in a gigantic bear hug.  
"That's my old Ka- what happened? Who died?"   
"Huh? No one, everyone's fine."  
"My God, Kate, you must be freezing! Your a doctor- you should know that going out in the snow with only a scub top on is crazy. Take my coat." said Sarah, offering her warm brown coat for Kate to wear.  
"No- no I'm fine." said Kate, flagging away the coat in protest.  
"No, your not. Take my coat or I'll get back on that plane..."  
"Ok, ok, I'll wear it." said Kate, finally excepting the coat. "Do I really look that bad?"   
"Honey, your eye's are red as apples, mascara's all over your cheeks and your hair is even more messy than usual. What's wrong Girl, guy problems?" said Sarah. as the two walked down the airport terminal towards the line of taxis waiting for a passenger.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Think you've got it easy, huh?" said Boss, eye's darting from Carter to Martin and then back to Carter in a dangerous manner.   
The two stayed silent, staring at the white slimy tiles that decorated the whole room.  
"ANSWER ME!" He yelled causing his prisoners to jump and his servants to tighten their hold.   
"No sir." said Martin, to Carter's surprise. After his display of anger when they were locked up, Carter expected a sarcastic remark.  
"Good." said the Boss, pleased to be called 'Sir' a name of which he linked to all the respectable peoples in society even if he wasn't half as respected as the common murderer. "I suppose you'll also be wanting to know why you were chosen to be here." he said directing his statement like question at Carter who remained silent. "Hummm?" Carter still didn't stay anything. "Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway so that when you die, you will know who and why you did."- said Boss, cracking loudly at his own personal joke. His servants started to laugh with him and John could tell that they didn't get a word their Boss was saying.   
"QUIET." Everyone did as he said. "Now, on with the story....."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Sarah and Kate were sitting in Kate's kitchen each holding a steaming cup of hot chocolate. The room was still bare except for a few pictures of her and Carter from a picnic they had gone on not too long ago.  
"What kind of boyfriend is he, if he's gone missing?" said Sarah indignantly.  
"No, Sarah, you don't understand. He was kidnapped...." answered Kate defending Carter.  
"By who?"  
"I was about to tell you that- Harry Hofman's brother."  
"He's the guy that..."  
"Yeah." said Kate sadly.  
"And you think it's your fault." prophesied Sarah.  
"Uhuh."   
"Kate-"  
"I know."  
The two sat in silence, not having anything else to say to each other. Sarah took a long sip from her mug.   
"How long have you been dating this guy?"  
"A year." answered Kate, still staring at the picture.  
"What are you staring at?" questioned Sarah, noticing that Kate had her eye's focused on something behind her. She turned to look at the fridge and immediately saw the great photo that Kate kept her eye's on.  
"That him?"  
"Yup." said Kate finally adverting her eye's back to her cup where she took a swing.  
"He's hot and handsome..."  
"He's mine." came back Kate, setting her cup down on the table in a hurry.  
"Don't worry girl- I got my own man....."   
~*~*~*~  
  
Carter stared up at Boss with pure hatrid in his eye's. Tears were waiting to fall but he blinked them back quickly, not wanting to show vunrable he was.  
"Get 'em outta here boys, I don't want to be looking at these pieces of shit any longer."   
Carter couldn't keep it down any longer. He raised his left hand and wiped a tear.   
"What's that I see?" asked the Boss, in a girly voice. "Tears? TEARS? I see no room for cry babies." He slapped Carter on the side of his face. John's hands being held tightly behind his back, could not touch his face as he winced in pain.   
"Get these wimps in chains by the hour." ordered the Boss before walking out the room, leaving Carter and Martin alone with his 'little helpers.'  
John and Martin stared up at their captors, wondering where they were going next.  
"Well, come on!" shouted a tall gawky, but strong man with carrot hair and gray eye's. "Ya heard the man- get moving!"   
Suddenly, Carter had an idea. It was a long shot but worth trying.  
"Come on, I need to do a shit- haven't dropped aload in ten hours!" he said in the best slang he could muster.  
Carrot head looked at he partner in silent questioning. After getting the go ahead, the foursome walked back into the restroom.   
"Privacy, please?" asked Martin, getting onto what Carter was trying to do.   
"Yeah, I suppose." agreed the short one. Carrot shot a look at his 'friend' but stayed silent and followed him out the room.   
"Alright, Martin my man, is there a second exit outta here?"...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Really? And he is..." asked Kate, leaning in closer to catch the details.  
"Remember Josh-"  
"Josh Michells?" gasped Kate.  
"Uhuh." proclaimed Sarah, but went on shyly. "Old enimies, more than friends."  
"Wow." said Kate as the dark clouds outside began to pour with it's tears of rain, bruising the windows with tiny droplets which grew larger in size. "How come you didn't tell me the last time you called?"   
"Well, you just wanted an opinion of what to wear on your 'hot date' with Doc Carter, forgot?" came back Sarah, getting up to place her cup in the sink.  
"So, you should have told me!"   
"Well, it's served it's purpose of being interesting news. You know, Kate, you look awful. Are you ok?" asked Sarah, a concerned expression on her face. Kate had turned a pale shade of pink and had put her head down, near here knees.  
"No, I'll ahh, be fine." said Kate shakily. "I'll be fine in a sec- shit, I think I'm gonna be sick." She got up from the chair she was sitting cross-legged on and made it to the sink in time to begin reaching.   
Sarah held her hair back, the wheels in her head turning with the possibilities as to why Kate could be fine one moment and as sick as a dog the next...  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"You beauty Martin!" said Carter as they fled the toilets through the fire escape.   
"Yeah, well thanks, I guess..." he answered uncertainly.   
"Don't worry- it's ment to mean something good. Where do we go now?"   
"Oh, ok. The Office?" suggested Martin, pointing to his left at a white door made of glass whit the word 'Administration' scrawled in gold.   
"Yeah! Perfect." said Carter, checking their surroundings before running towards the door and pushing against it, expecting that it would open.  
"Doesn't open." he claimed dejectedly, still pushing the door.  
"Really?" asked Martin, pulling the door handle towards him. The door opened easily. Martin walked in, his head up in the air in triumph.  
"I knew that." said Carter following behind, trying his best to look innocent.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Kate?" asked Sarah as she finished reaching and was washing her mouth out, hoping to get rid of the horrid taste in her mouth.  
"I'm fine, just something I ate."   
"Kate-"   
"No, Sarah, I'm fine ok?" snapped Kate walking from the sink back to the tabel.  
"Ok." agreed Sarah as the two lapsed into silence and all that could be heard was the pattering of the rain on the windows and the wispering of trees from outside.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ok. So it's a little short. There is another part on the way, don't frett little peoples. But I need to know what you think of where I'm taking this. (and Yes, I am thinking of continuing Your Not Forgotten once it's finished but let's not jump to conclusions, ok?) I hope you guys get what's happening- I'm not really good at explaining things.  
  



	6. Part 6

~*~*~*~  
  
Part 6  
  
"Wow they really trashed this place huh?" said Carter as he and Martin picked their way around fallen chairs and tables, papers, crashed computers and filing cabinets- their contents spilling onto the floor.  
  
"You could say that again. What exactly are we looking for anyway?" asked Martin, stopping in his tracks and looking back at Carter.  
  
"A phone, fax machine, walkie-talkie what ever that will give us contact with the outside world."  
  
"Do they even know where we are?" asked Martin, returning to the search this time with more energy.  
  
"Huh." chuckled Carter lifting up a stack of files that had been thrown onto the floor to see what was underneath. "I should think so. The windows are blackened out with black paint. That's not something you see every day."  
  
"Doc, get over here and give me a hand will ya?" asked Martin, stepping over a plant pot before picking up and placing his hand on the filing cabinets that lay on the floor, face down.  
  
"Ok." said Carter, finally making his way over to the metal boxes. "On three." he directed, placing his left hand on the bottom and his right hand on top. Martin did the same. "One, two, three- oof!"  
  
The cabinets groaned as the two lifted it up and placed it back in it's corner.  
  
"Alleluia!" shouted Martin. as he jumped in excitement. Underneath all the tones of paper and metal lay a phone.   
  
"Yes, but does it work?" said Carter as he leaned over and picked up the hand set.  
Martin stood attentively, not wanting to be disappointed again but knowing that he might be.  
  
Carter placed the receiver to his ear and at hearing the dial tone, breathed a sigh of relief. "It works."   
  
Martin's smile went from an ordinary smile, to a grin and then to jumping around the room and hugging Carter.  
"You BUETY!" he yelled as he and Carter danced round the office giving each other high fives.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kate sat in her seat and not feeling much like her tea after the 'unpleasant moment'.  
Sarah sat across from her, still shooting the 'what's going on' look at Kate.  
She sighed. "I suppose you want to know what that was all about." said Kate, referring to her episode.  
  
"Your damn right girl! Your the only best friend I have left, what do you expect." said Sarah, putting her cup down and crossing her arms in front of her and looking away.  
  
"I just found out this today, but, um, I'm pregnant." said Kate hurriedly taking a gulp of her tea.  
  
"Hey, that's great news! Right?" asked Sarah noticing that Kate didn't look too excited. "Oh yeah." she said, realizing the connection between the baby and Carter.  
"How far along?" Sarah asked quietly.  
  
"I don't know yet."  
  
"Well, you know, John will be just fine." comforted Sarah with a big smile.  
  
"Will he? Look I don't know anything Sarah, but being held hostage with a few hundred children in a school isn't something I would call fine." Kate calmed herself down a bit before continuing on. "What if he doesn't make it. What if he isn't here for..."  
  
"Kate, quit it. What if he come's back and is the same as before. What if he couldn't be happier about the baby? You know your going to make yourself into a nervous wreck by the time he get's here!" reasoned Sarah.  
  
"If he get's here at all." whispered back Kate, tears threatening to fall.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Who are we going to call?" asked Martin as soon as they had gotten over finding the phone.  
  
"Do you know the number for the Indianapolis police department?" asked Carter, suddenly weighing his options.  
  
"Yeah it's..." rattled off Martin as Carter dialed frantically trying to keep up.   
  
"Hello? I'm John Carter and I'm stuck in a high school filled with children....."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Sarah looked around the apartment and sighed. She certainly couldn't go back to Australia anytime soon. Kate had finally gotten to sleep and all that was left to do was to tidy up the place a bit. Not that it didn't need tiding but Sarah's body clock was still on Aussie time.  
  
As she opened the nearest cardboard box, Sarah found frames. Each was wrapped neatly and covered in bubble wrap. She recognized these as being the items that used to be on her mantle. Carrying the box to the fire place, she put the box down on a chair.  
Slowly and careful, Sarah placed the photo frame's in a decorative order, the smallest at the front and the largest at the back. Standing back to admire the work she had done, Sarah noticed that one frame was missing. Digging deeper into the box and taking out the unnecessary plastic, she found a beautiful glass frame. In this particular photo, which had been enlarged, Sarah and Kate were in the park with a bunch of their guy friends just fooling around quite a few years earlier.   
  
***Flashback***  
  
"Come on Kate, you'll look good in a photo!" said a tall gangly teen, that had a ridiculous camera in hand.  
  
"Oh shut up Ronnie and stop haggering her for a kiss." yelled Sarah, giving him a friendly shove.   
  
"Well didn't I just say that Kate would look beautiful in a photo? You don't have to shove me!"   
  
"You had it coming!"  
  
"Ok, ok, I'll have the damn picture if Sarah can be in it too." said Kate finally opening her mouth, hopeing to bring peace to the group. However her words just caused the bickering to worsen as the two fought about which spot the picture should be taken and at what angle. They had finally settled for a quiet place by the pond under a gigantic tree.   
  
"Smile!" yelled Sarah as Kate wrapped her arms around her friends shoulders and they leaned in for a shot that had resulted in the professional looking picture.  
  
***End flashback return to normal time***  
  
Sarah smiled as she placed the frame in the middle of the mantle and began to build a log fire with the few logs that had been put by the fire place by someone as though they were planning on using them but never got round to it.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Ok. Martin, you understand what you have to do, right?" asked Carter chucking the teen a walkie talkie that they had found.  
  
"Yup. Find the classrooms with kids in them and start herding them to the library and try to find Crystal." said Martin nodding his head to let Carter that he understood perfectly.  
  
"Right and I lock the bunch of idiots in the bathroom, ok? Don't call me until you get the kids safe or if you get into trouble."   
  
"I won't get into trouble." said Martin.  
  
"Just be careful, man, ok? You scared, Martin?" asked Carter softly, his hand on the younger boy's shoulders.  
  
"Yeah, a little."   
  
"Don't worry. So am I." admitted Carter as the two ran from the room in separate directions, each concentration on the task and not the fear they felt welling up inside them.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Any news?" asked Kate walking into the living room to find Sarah polishing her piano. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and her straight red hair was all tangled and in a messy pony tail.  
  
"No, nothing important. But a Dr Weaver called, said for you to call back." said Sarah, not looking up as she continued to rub at the hard surface. Kate just ran for the phone, not bothering to listen to the rest of the message.  
  
"She said that it wasn't really important and that you could wait...."  
  
Kate didn't care. She furiously dialed the direct number to the ER and anxiously waited for someone to pick up the phone.  
  
"Randi? Is Dr Weaver there.. thanks..... Kerry, what happened.... Oh. Ok.... *really* I'm coming down there." and with that Kate put down the phone and without looking at Kate ran to her room.  
  
"Kate what happened?" Sarah asked anxiously. When she didn't get a response, Sarah walked up to Kate and shook her gently. "What happened?"  
Kate, as though she didn't know that Sarah was in the room, looked up surprised and shocked.   
  
"He called. He called the police department."   
  
"From where?"   
  
"The school." answered Kate, pulling on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt before slugging on an extra old and dirty looking pair odd sneakers.  
  
"And where are you going."  
  
"The hospital."  
  
"Kate-"  
  
"Sarah-"  
  
The friends looked at each other, Kate pleading with Sarah, through her eye's to let her do this her own way, Sarah trying to convince Kate through her body language that this wasn't what she should do and should wait for more information.  
  
"I.... have to go-" said Kate braking the silence as she rushed to the bathroom that was conveniently just across the hallway from the room the pair were standing in.   
  
Sarah waited for a few seconds, thinking of how she could convince Kate to stay when she heard Kate begin to reach, then followed her into the bathroom and held Kate's red hair back from her pale face as she tried to chuck what ever was left in her stomach from her last bout of morning sickness and into the open toilet bowl.   
  
  
At last, a few minuets later, Kate stood up rinsed her f ace and mouth out at the porcelain sink.  
  
"Kate, I'll make a deal with you." said Sarah slowly, deciding on a plan of action.  
Kate didn't say anything , but kept her head down in the sink, the tap running freely into the hole, the tap making a screeching sound as the aging metal squeezed the liquid out of the pipe and into the waiting plug hole, ready to take it back to it's place of origin.  
  
"I'll let you go to the hospital if you let me come with you."   
Kate finally lifted her head, turned off the tap and with a croaky voice from sickness, answered with a smile.  
  
"Of course you can come. Your not trying to baby me are you?"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Carter watched as the two guards fought out side the men's toilets that he and Martin had been shoved through and told their twisted future. Chuckling to himself he watched carefully taking in all that was happening, and figuring a plan of action.  
  
"You dofus! You should have never let them in there by them selves." said one guy, illustrating his frustration using his huge, large and masculine hands.  
  
"Don't worry they will be out in a sec, would you like to drop a load infront of strangers? We could have been in there for hours." said the other, trying to state his point as quietly as possible but without success.  
  
"So. At least they would be safe and have no chance of escape."  
  
"Their locked in a toilet for god's sake- how could they get out?"  
  
"I don't know but I'm telling you now, you don't mess with a doctor. They have all these special powers that can heal you from within!"   
  
"Like I don't know! Of course I know. My brother was cured of leukemia when he was just seven. I respect those guys. Which is another reason why I let him in there!"  
  
"Yeah, and you don't believe that, with their special and mystical powers that they won't magically fly through the wall or just creep through this door while we are out here fighting?"  
  
The pair were silent for a second, both pondering what they had just discovered.   
  
"You don't think so, do you?" asked the guy that had just suggested these magical powers that all the doctors of the world had just received.  
  
"Well, I dunno. But it certainly is a possibility."   
  
Carter couldn't believe what he was hearing and gave a low whistle to himself. 'Perhaps this was going to be easier than I thought...'  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Kerry!" called out Kate as she and Sarah entered the hospital's admit desk. "Nothing new since the last update?"   
  
"No, I'm sorry. Your welcome to crash in one of the empty exam rooms, you don't look too well." said Kerry taking in Kate's pale face and haunted looks. Sarah nudged Kate as in to say 'I told you so!' Kate nudged Sarah back and noticed that she should be doing to introductions.   
  
It suddenly dawned on Kate how quite Sarah seemed to be. Usually the one in charge, speaking her mind and offering her advice Sarah was now quiet and mouse-like, staying not quite beside Kate but a little further back.  
  
"Kerry, I'm sorry. This is my best friend Dr Sarah Rapa. Sarah, this is Dr Kerry Weaver."  
  
"It's nice to meet you!" said Kerry warmly, holding out her had.  
  
Sarah shook it warmly and gave a small but comforting smile.   
"Likewise." Sarah then turned to Kate.   
  
"Are you going to stay here or go on home?" Kerry then left the desk and turned aound to verbally abuse the desk clerk and nurses who were watching the television, waiting for more insight to what had happened to their beloved resident.  
  
"No. I'm not going back again I'll stay here."  
  
"Ok. Suite yourself. But your not to see any patients or do any charts. *Nothing* work related ok?" said Sarah stressing on the work part.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Kerry wouldn't let me anyway." said Kate making her way to the Lounge after checking the board.  
  
"She know?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Carter waited and waited. He watched as the two men listened at the door to the lavatory , trying to decide if the 'Doc' was using his special powers or not.  
  
"What dose it sound like when a Doc uses his powers?"  
  
"I dunno. I guess it's a kind of whizzing sound... you know?" The carrot head answered, twirling his left hand around as he pursed his lips together and blew strongly, his cheeks puffed out in a comical manner "Wufffffssszzzzzz".  
  
His partner, twice the idiot concentrated on this weird 'whizzing' thing that carrot was doing as though it was the secret to 'what women want.'  
Carter took this opportunity to open a store room closet door which he was leaning against.   
  
Waiting till his eye's adjusted to the dimness to the room, he saw a long length of rope sitting just under the light switch. Grabbing that and a weird, dented plastic pipe that had been painted a shiny silver colour, he carefully left the room, not bothering to close the door behind him...  
  
"Oh, ok. I understand."   
  
"Do you hear something?" asked the carrot head.  
  
"Yeah.... yeah, I think so!!" answered his partner. He turned around and looked down both ends of the corridor. "But it's not coming from inside the, then...."  
  
Carter had the pipe in his hands, whizzing it round as though it was a magic wand. As it swiveled round and round, the air got trapped inside the tube and thus the whizzing had begun. The rope held ceremoniously by his right hand behind his back.  
The men had noticed and turned around as though they were being whipped with fire on their backs.  
  
"Who- who are you??"   
  
"I'm Dr Johnahonagen. Here to see if you" said Carter pointing to the red with the pipe and then turning on his shorter partner "and you will be let into the holy Gates of Heaven or the Gates of Fire and Pain."  
  
"Please, Master Doctor John-ahhhh..." said Carrot head, "We want to go to Heaven!!"  
  
"Well, that depends." said Carter, deciding that he'd better stop swinging his pipe. He held it beside him, it's silver paint glowing in the florescent lights. "On how good you have been."  
  
"Oh, we've been excellent Master!"  
  
"Not a bad bone in our body!!"  
  
"Well, isn't that for me to decide?" asked Carter using his voice with authority and lifted his head up majestically, doing his best to be a super Doc.  
  
The two men stood silently as he pretended to 'cheak them over'.   
  
"Ok. Fine." said Carter finally.   
  
"What? What, did we pass?" anxiously asked the carrot head, his knees shaking with fear.  
  
"You will pass as long as you complete the task that I am about to set you...." said John, walking up to the men in big, long strides.   
  
He resumed the swinging of the plastic pipe and as soon as he got closer, close enough to intimidate them he pointed one long arm with his shirt torn in places, at the dark closet that was just around the corner...  
  
~*~*~*~  
occ: In regards to 'The Secret Life', Yeah, I know the story was crap and perhaps I will take the heart one day to go over what me and my cuz wrote. I'm sorry. I know I could have done better.   
  



End file.
